17.2. The Imperfect Past
17.2.1. Conjugation
The imperfect past tense is used for actions that are in progress or repeated.
| PRONOUN | -ARE | -ERE | -IRE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Èo | -ava / -avo | -eva / -evo | -iva / -ivo |
| Tu | -avas | -evas | -ivas |
| Elle / Ella | -ava | -eva | -iva |
| Nós / Nosaltros / Nosaltras | -avamos | -evamos | -ivamos |
| Vós / Vosaltros / Vosaltras | -avates | -evates | -ivates |
| Ellos / Ellas | -avan | -evan | -ivan |
| PRONOUN | Parlare [To speak] | Apprèndere [To learn] | Partire [To depart] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Èo | Parlava / Parlavo | Apprendeva / Apprendevo | Partiva / Partivo |
| Tu | Parlavas | Apprendevas | Partivas |
| Elle / Ella | Parlava | Apprendeva | Partiva |
| Nós / Nosaltros / Nosaltras | Parlavamos | Apprendevamos | Partivamos |
| Vós / Vosaltros / Vosaltras | Parlavates | Apprendevates | Partivates |
| Ellos / Ellas | Parlavan | Apprendevan | Partivan |
17.2.2. Uses
| Use | Example(s) | Translation(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring events or habitual actions in the past | 1. Ella cantava por lo bebé totas las seras. 2. Elle sèmpre vedeva la televisione depòs de cenare. 3.Jocavan ad tennis lo doméneco. 4. Cata estate, viaggîàvamos ad la plajja. | 1. She sang for the baby every evening. 2. He always watched television after eating dinner. 3. They played tennis on Sundays. 4. Every summer, we traveled to the beach. |
| Ongoing actions in the past with no specific beginning or end | 1. Non èst cuello que esperava. 2. Èo voleva qualcausa (de) differènte. 3. Ella estava cantando. / Ella cantava. | 1. It was not what I expected. 2. I wanted something different. She was singing. |
| Descriptions of people, places or circumstances in the past | 1. Elle èra tímido quando èra púero. 2. Èra una nòcte oscura. 3. La escòla que frequentava èra ad San Salvario. 4. Hi haveva moltas estellas en lo cèlo cuella nocte. 5. Ella èra nervosa. 6. Marie Curie haveva tres sorores et un fratre. 7. Mèos avos parlavan japonese. | 1. He was timid when he was a child. 2. It was a dark night. 3. The school that I attended was in San Salvario. 4. There were many stars in the sky that night. 5. She was nervous. 6. Marie Curie had three sisters and one brother. 7. My grandparents spoke Japanese. |
| Telling time and stating the date | 1. Èran las dèce de la mattina. 2. Èra lo 1º [primo] de majjo de 2005 [doos-mille-cinque]. | 1. It was ten in the morning. 2. It was May 1st [first], 2005 [two thousand five]. |
| Stating age | Elle haveva vinte annos. | He was twenty years old. |
17.2.3. Trigger Words
| Word(s) | Translation |
|---|---|
| Ante | Before |
| Frequentemente | Often |
| Ad veces | Sometimes |
| Quasi jamàis | Almost never |
| Quasi sèmpre | Almost always |
| Cata anno / Totos los annos | Every year |
| Totos los días | Every day |
| Totas las mattinas | Every morning |
| Mentre | While |
| Raramente | Rarely |
| En cuella època | Back then |
| De vece en quando / De tèmpo en tèmpo / De tanto en tanto | From to time |
| Pauco ad pauco | Little by little |
| Cata vece que | Every time |